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Slave descendants face local vote on whether wealthy can build large homes in their island enclave

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:26 GMT

DARIEN, Ga. (AP) — Descendants of enslaved people living on a Georgia island are watching anxiously Monday evening as county commissioners consider doubling the maximum size of houses that can be built in their tiny community of modest homes and dirt roads.Black residents of the Hogg Hummock community on Sapelo Island sat mostly silent as McIntosh County commissioners scheduled a Tuesday vote on the proposal. The commission’s only Black member implored the others to reject the zoning changes, saying they would favor wealthy buyers and lead to tax increases that would pressure indigenous residents to sell their land.“This plan will be be a giant step in the destruction of the culture of Hogg Hummock,” said Commissioner Roger Lotson, whose district includes Sapelo Island. “It may be inevitable, but let us not be the board that drives the nail in this coffin.”The zoning plan before commissioners would loosen zoning restrictions adopted nearly three decades ago to help Hogg Hummoc...

California lawmakers vote to end travel ban to states with anti-LGBTQ+ laws

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:26 GMT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California may soon lift a ban on state-funded travel to states with anti-LGBTQ+ laws and instead focus on an advertising campaign to bring anti-discrimination messages to red states.California started banning official travel to states with laws it deemed discriminatory against LGBTQ+ people in 2017, starting with Kansas, Mississippi, North Carolina and Tennessee. Since then, the list has grown to include a total of 26 states, most of them Republican-led, following a surge of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation these past few years. The prohibition has prevented elected officials, state workers and university scholars from traveling to more than half of the country using the state’s money. That has posed a significant challenge to sports teams at public colleges and universities, which have had to find alternative funding sources to pay for their road games in states like Arizona and Utah. It has also complicated some of the state’s other policy goals, like using...

Aerosmith postpones Chicago stop on farewell tour

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:26 GMT

CHICAGO — The band Aerosmith has announced that it is rescheduling several stops on its farewell tour after an injury in the group. The band made the announcement in a statement shared on its website on Monday. White Sox-Royals game postponed Monday night due to rain According to the statement, the group's singer, Steven Tyler, said that he had suffered vocal cord damage during a concert on Saturday, which has forced the group to postpone several stops on the tour, including the upcoming show at the United Center in Chicago. “I’m heartbroken to say I have received strict doctor’s orders not to sing for the next thirty days. I sustained vocal cord damage during Saturday’s show that led to subsequent bleeding. We’ll need to postpone a few dates so that we can come back and give you the performance you deserve.” Singer Steven Tyler said in a statement. Drew Barrymore slammed for talk show return amid WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike The group is currently on its "Peace Out" farewell tour a...

Brady Bunch house sells — for $2.3 million under asking price

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:26 GMT

(KTLA) — Marcia, Marcia, Marcia ... your home has a new owner.The Studio City property that served as the exterior for "The Brady Bunch," lovingly restored by HGTV to its '70s TV glory, has sold for $3.2 million.That's $2.3 million less than the asking price of $5.5 million (which was, let's be honest, some pretty wishful thinking on HGTV's part).The Studio City home featured in "The Brady Bunch" is officially headed to market following renovations by HGTV. (Photo courtesy: Anthony Barcelo)The new owner of Chez Brady is Tina Trahan, 53, who is described by the Wall Street Journal as "a historic home enthusiast" married to former HBO chief executive Chris Albrecht.She says no one will live in the Brady manse. Instead, the property will be used for fundraising and charity events."No one is going in there to make pork chops and applesauce in that kitchen," Trahan told the Journal. "Anything you might do to make the house livable would take away from what I consider artwork."HGTV p...

Paxton's affair, bribery accusations begin second week of impeachment trial

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:26 GMT

AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- Texas' Court of Impeachment reconvened Monday morning for the second week of suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton's trial, leading off with key testimony from one of Paxton's top deputies. PREVIOUS: Texas Republicans weigh in on Paxton impeachment after week one of trial Former chief of staff says Paxton's alleged fair hurt office moraleHouse prosecutors' sixth witness, Katherine "Missy" Cary — the former chief of staff in the attorney general's office — was the first to testify at length about Paxton's alleged affair. She shared with the jury how she became aware of the affair and testified that the attorney general first identified the woman, Laura Olson, as his realtor.Paxton's alleged affair is mentioned in one of the articles of impeachment, accusing Paxton of accepting bribes because he “benefited from Nate Paul’s employment of a woman with whom Paxton was having an extramarital affair.”Cary said "my heart broke for her," referring to Paxton's wife — sta...

5 takeaways from Day 5 of Ken Paxton's impeachment trial

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:26 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The impeachment trial for suspended Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton entered its second week Monday. RELATED COVERAGE: Ken Paxton impeachment trial enters second week Here are a few takeaways from Day five of the trial: 1. Jury could begin deliberations this weekThe prosecution and defense each have about 14 hours left to present and defend their case, as of Monday morning. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said both sides could run out of time by Thursday, meaning the jury of senators could begin deliberations Thursday or Friday.Patrick also said the jury will meet every day until a decision is made. 2. Another whistleblower testifiesMark Penley, another whistleblower and former deputy attorney general for criminal justice, took the stand Monday morning. He was one of the whistleblowers who sued Paxton, later leading to the impeachment trial. Witness Mark Penley, who served as the deputy attorney general for criminal justice under Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for one ye...

Johnson Bros. Liquors seeks relocation from St. Paul to former Blue Cross site in Eagan

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:26 GMT

Johnson Brothers Liquor Co., the third largest wine distributor in the nation, is in talks with the city of Eagan to potentially relocate its St. Paul headquarters to a future six-story, 460,000-square foot warehouse distribution facility where the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota campus currently sits on Blue Cross Road.Johnson Brothers Liquor Co. has proposed relocating its headquarters and distribution facility from 1999 Shepard Road in St. Paul to the former Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota campus in Eagan. (Courtesy of the City of Eagan)On Tuesday evening, the Eagan City Council will consider the company’s request to rezone a 55-acre swathe of the campus from office to industrial development, setting the stage for the liquor company’s arrival. Johnson Bros. also is eyeing some 230,000 square feet of potential future expansion space, including retaining a former Delta Dental office building to the south of the site largely as-is for its office headquarters....

Minnesota Court of Appeals to livestream arguments

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:26 GMT

The Minnesota Judicial Branch has announced that oral arguments made before the state appeals court will be available for viewing live and on-demand.Beginning Tuesday, which is the start of the court’s 2023-24 term, broadcasts of all in-person oral arguments heard at the Minnesota Judicial Center and also in greater Minnesota courtrooms will be available on the appeals court page — under the “Calendar tab” — at mncourts.gov.A recent survey found that litigants, attorneys and the public strongly support remote viewing of oral arguments, the state judicial branch said.RELATED: Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Natalie Hudson to make history as state’s next chief justiceEstablished in 1983, the appeals court reviews more than 2,000 decisions by trial courts, state agencies and local governments each year. Typically, about five percent of the appellate cases are accepted by the state Supreme Court for further review.The Minnesota Supreme Court began webcasting oral...

Report: Ladue students died in crash following aborted police chase

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:26 GMT

UNIVERSITY CITY, Mo. - Three teenagers who died last week after their vehicle smashed into a vacant University City home were fleeing from police in the moments leading up to the fatal crash.New information from the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the University City Police Department also shows the crash occurred much earlier than previously reported.Investigators said a 2016 Hyundai Accent was traveling at a high rate of speed on the morning of Sept. 6 when the driver failed to negotiate a sharp curve in the 1000 block of Groby Road in University City and crashed into a home.The three teens, later identified as Deion Robinson, Johnnie Ursery, and Demetrius Ingram, were students at Ladue Horton Watkins High School. They were 15.The crash was initially reported to have occurred sometime after sunrise, since police did not receive a call about the crash until 6:30 a.m. On the day of the crash, the state patrol said authorities would seek out and analyze any surveillance video in th...

U.S. approves updated COVID vaccines to rev up protection this fall

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:26 GMT

WASHINGTON — The U.S. approved updated COVID-19 vaccines Monday, hoping to rev up protection against the latest coronavirus strains and blunt any surge this fall and winter.The Food and Drug Administration decision opens the newest shots from Moderna and Pfizer and its partner BioNTech to most Americans even if they’ve never had a coronavirus vaccination. It’s part of a shift to treat fall updates of the COVID-19 vaccine much like getting a yearly flu shot.There’s still another step: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must sign off. A CDC advisory panel is set to issue recommendations Tuesday on who most needs the updated shots. Vaccinations could begin later this week, and both the COVID-19 and flu shot can be given at the same visit.A third vaccine maker, Novavax, said its updated shot is still being reviewed by the FDA.COVID-19 hospitalizations have been rising since late summer although –- thanks to lasting immunity from prior vaccinations and infections –- not...